


I Bet on Losing Dogs

by tobstertoaster



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: X & Y | Pokemon X & Y Versions
Genre: Angst, Canonical Character Death, Diantha and Sycamore are siblings, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 00:53:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29725830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tobstertoaster/pseuds/tobstertoaster
Summary: After the incident, Sycamore reflects on the past.
Relationships: Fleur-de-lis | Lysandre/Platane-hakase | Professor Augustine Sycamore
Kudos: 11





	1. A Visit to Geosenge

You’re staring down at the rubble in the pit of Geosenge. The air was still hot from the fallout, and all residents had to evacuate so they wouldn’t suffocate from the lingering dust in the air. They’re all staying in a lovely hotel in Lumiose to make up for the destruction and trauma anyway, it’ll be fine. It’s been a couple of days, at least. You fix your mask from slipping. “Professor Sycamore, coffee?” A rescue team member asks you. “Yes, thank you.” You respond, and you take the comfortingly warm coffee mug and hold it close to you. It’s still hot through the gloves you’re wearing, and that makes you feel at least a little better. The coffee is filled to the brim with sweetener with a dash of cinnamon, just how you like it. A soft exhale escapes your lips and you stare off into the cloudy horizon. “Delicious, thank you, Hugo.” You give the member a weak smile, and he nods. “Of course professor, stay safe.”

He leaves you alone with the rubble and the giant hole in the middle of town. “It would be better to just leave it as it is, wouldn’t it?” You mutter before sipping from the mug. There’s machinery hauling the boulders out of the hole and the houses are getting put back into place. Another unit was working on digging up another part of the underground laboratory. A couple bodies of Team Flare members and Pokemon were already discovered, however only few were identified. No signs of Lysandre, not yet, at least until you hear the surprised chorus of shouting and panic. Their words are drowned out in your head as you watch the next round of boulders get brought up onto land, and you see him. 

Lysandre’s body is limp, and his limbs are mangled. His skin is deathly pale and any chance to see a sign of life is nonexistent. You place your beverage on a nearby folding table and rush to him. Your breath is trapped in your throat and you’re shaking as you take your gloves off. You just want to feel his hand, you just want to remember his touch. His hand is dried with blood and they’re dry and they’re cold. So, so cold. You’re a coward, you can’t even bring yourself to look at his face. An array of emotions are stirring inside you, anger, sadness, numbness, anything other than positive. 

“Professor, we need to place him with the others.” A gentle, but hesitant voice interrupts your daze. Hugo. “...Yes,” you mutter as you extract your hand from his. You watch as he’s carried away from the scene with a blank expression. When you pick up your coffee, you don’t even mind the uncomfortably hot ceramic mug against your skin. You take a deep breath and watch as more bodies get lifted from the pit. Due to the temperature, the liquid is now scalding when it runs down your throat. You didn’t even cry.


	2. At home, at last.

It’s been a couple of days and your work is no longer needed at Geosenge. You leave during the night after having long, extensive conversations with some of the town’s most stubborn residents and the family members of those departed. The amount of Pokemon you had to gently bring back to the wild so they wouldn’t choke the dust was astounding. Some of them may benefit from the air quality, however, it’s best to be safe than sorry. The lights of the few cars in front of yours sort of blend together and you can barely keep your eyes open. You adjust the car mirror, blinking slowly until you spot an orange blur in your vision. Your breath hitches and you whip your head around behind you, and you see...nothing. Absolutely nothing. You stare at the backseat in disbelief and your jaw is hung open. A car horn blares behind you.

The door slams when you finally return to your apartment in Lumiose. It’s dark, so you turn on the light and stare at your mess of a house. You haven’t been here in at least a week or two, you can’t remember, you lost track of time a while ago. Exhaustion is swirling in your body, and when you look at your reflection in a nearby mirror, your eyebags are surely becoming more noticeable. “God, I look awful.” You laugh to yourself, messing with your hair a bit and touching your face. It’s best to stop fixating on it, so you place that annoying suitcase with the loose wheel onto your table.

Your suitcase is sloppily packed with no sign of any attempt at organization. It’s a bad habit of yours that you never bothered to fix, and one that you never will fix. The clothes aren’t folded in any way, Pokeballs are just thrown in, and granola bars are crushed from your massive books. You start unpacking everything, throwing all of the clothes into a laundry basket beside an entrance to a hallway. The Pokemon must hate the stuffiness of the balls, so you release them to watch them run around in pure joy. A soft chuckle escapes your mouth as you lean back onto the table. Bulbasaur runs into a nearby stand, knocking the vase off of the surface. He looks up at you with guilt, and you sigh, patting him on the head. “It’s alright, we’ll clean it up later. No worries.” He smiles and returns to his usual antics of running around with the others.

After searching for that god damned remote, you turn on the TV for your little ones to enjoy. You fish your drawer for the most comfortable outfit you could create, and carry your clothes to the bathroom. You’ve never felt more congested in your entire life, aside from the time you had caught the flu. A hot shower should fix that, at least. The shower knobs are squeaky and the water takes a second to warm up, so you aimlessly scroll through your phone while you wait. “Leon won the championship yet again? No surprise there.” You mutter, rolling your eyes. Galar’s tournaments have started to become a little boring, but maybe that’s because you’re watching it on TV. Diantha seemed to still like it, at least, the last time you talked to her about it. Now that you think about it, you really need more hobbies.

The shower is hot when you check on it again, so you slip off your clothes and step inside. When the water hits your skin, you close your eyes and sigh with satisfaction. You really, really needed this. The events of this week were tiring, to say the least. Flashes of the Team Flare members’ corpses involuntarily appear in your mind. Real people who had families, who had lives outside their group, who had interests, dislikes, romances. They were victims of circumstance, they were at the wrong place at the wrong time. From what you’ve gathered from the survivors, Team Flare had almost a cult-like attitude. They all joined for a stupid reason, to flaunt their wealth and to be apart of something “big”. You squirt some shampoo out of the bottle and rub it into your scalp. Eliminating everyone and anyone who disagreed with their vision, and only thinking about the end goal; a bright and beautiful world. Team Flare was no way in the right, and the members were all morally corrupt in some way, but they didn’t deserve death. You shake your head rapidly as if that’ll help get rid of the thoughts of those distorted bodies.

When you step out of the shower, you don’t know if you even feel refreshed in the slightest. Your congestion went down by quite a margin, thank every angel in heaven for that. The towel you grabbed dries off your body, and the hairdryer makes your locks feel warm and soft. You throw on your clothes with little effort, brush your teeth, and exit the bathroom. You’re still exhausted, but at least you’re comfortable. Your room is a mess and dark when you enter it, just like it always has been. “I’ll clean tomorrow.” Every time you halfheartedly mumble this, you know it’s a lie. You get underneath the blankets, and Bulbasaur comes into the room and curls up in the crook of your legs. “Bonne nuit, little love.” With that, you drift off to sleep with the ambiance of the city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im gonna release the next chapter almost maybe 10-20 min after this, i just wanted to separate these segments lol


	3. Picnic on the Hills

You’re staring up at the bright blue, sunny sky when you open your eyes. It appears that you’re laying down on a red and white checkered cloth, and there’s a basket right next to you. “Augustine, you fell asleep again.” His voice indicates clear concern yet holds a familiar sternness to it. “Sorry, sorry.” You laugh and sit up in a criss-cross position. It’s a beautiful summer’s day, there are several flowers blooming and the grass has a vivid color. “I just can’t help it.” You absentmindedly play with the green blades, humming to yourself a tune you can’t remember. “Is there something wrong? You’ve been snoozing a lot more than usual, if that’s even possible.” He chuckles softly and you sigh, leaning back on your hands. “Non, non. There’s nothing going on. I’ve just had an abundance of work, that’s all.” Your words are truthful as always, that’s all it really was. He rolls his eyes and you can’t tell if the exhale that was released was out of annoyance, worry, or maybe even both. “You have to let yourself take breaks sometimes. You can’t spend your entire life at work, if you do, you’ll surely regret it in the coming years.” He says. 

“Oh, relax!” You pat his back and laugh. “I’m taking a break now, aren’t I? I’m not a workaholic, I know my limits. You worry too much.” He shakes his head. “Diantha told me yesterday that she had to practically tear you away from your desk. You need to sleep, I don’t want you to take another toll on your health by neglecting yourself, do you understand?” You clear your throat and reply, “That’s bold words coming from you. Wasn’t it just last night that I accidentally called you and you immediately picked up the phone? What time was it, four in the morning?” You don’t look at his face, but you can feel his eyes boring into you until he chuckles again. “You got me there, I’ll admit it. The Holo Caster is certainly an ambitious project.” He opens the basket and pulls out a quarter of a rosette sandwich that you packed. This prompts you to snatch the bottle of red wine and the two glasses protectively cushioned under several layers of cloth. You neatly place the wine glasses on the most stable surface you can find and pour the red liquid into both of them. He places a sandwich on top of a paper plate in front of you. You pick up the glass and he holds his, and you tap both of them together with a satisfying clink before drinking.  
  
Everything you eat or drink tastes the same to you, but it doesn’t cross your mind, at least not by much. “You know, I’m glad that you brought me out here.” You begin, “ You’re right, if you hadn’t dragged me by the legs here, I would be working mindlessly at my desk. And you would as well.” The only sort of sense you can pick up from the wine is that it’s warm. “Exactly. I suppose that’s another thing that we have in common, though. We should work on those habits. For some reason, we care more about each other’s happiness and fulfillment than our own. Isn’t that odd?” He says. “It is a little odd. Actually, it’s funny,” You bite into the sandwich. “We were once originally supposed to just be coworkers. You wanted it to stay that way, but I persisted. And I’m glad I did, I’m glad that we became such close friends.” 

  
“You were sort of annoying when I first met you, I won’t lie. But your enthusiasm grew on me.”  
“It was hilarious how cold you were.”  
“I’m still frigid, Augustine. Just less so to you.”  
“Keep saying that all you want, but you’re more of a...how should I put this...you’re more of a forest fire than a blizzard.”  
“Funny.”

You take the last bite of your meal and resort to snacking on some grapes. “It’s true, though.” The grapes are shoved into your mouth one by one. “You’re a very passionate man, ████████. I admire that. You have a vision for the world, and I want to help you in any way I possibly can. A beautiful future sounds fantastic, and I’m sure we can make it happen. It’s why we work together, no?” You smile softly. “I…” He seemed taken aback, “Yes, you’re right. Thank you.” His grin is evident in his words and it fills you up with every positive emotion possible. You couldn’t help it, his pure radiance just naturally attracts you like a moth to light. “I’ve been working on this bigger project, actually,” he sips from his glass. “It’s going to make the world a much better place. I know it.” Determination just resonates in his voice. “Oh? What is it?” You pull your legs closer to you and you hug them together, leaning your head on one of your knees. “Always so curious,” he laughs. “I can’t tell you, not yet, at least. Confidential, you’d understand, right, professor?” You nod and sigh. “I do, I do. I still want to know, but I’ll let you keep your secrets. For now, at least.” He tittered to your statement and after that, the two of you sat in silence.

“Now that I think about it, maybe you can help. Some way or another. Later, though. The project’s still in its developing stages.” When you glance at him for a second, his head is lifted up toward the sky. “I’d love to help!” You exclaim and sit straight up. “We haven’t worked on a project together in so long, my friend. I’d be happy to.” You hurriedly tried to look more put together and relaxed, leaning back on your hands once again. He laughs at your excitement. “I think it could also benefit your work, as it has something to do with Pokemon. You’ll love it, I’m sure.” He says. “At least, I hope you do.” You lightheartedly push his arm and laugh. “No, no! I’m sure I will. You work so hard on your ideas, and everyone loves it every time. You’ll be fine. Don’t stress.” Your words are nothing but genuine. He pauses before sighing with contentment and places a hand on top of yours. “I believe you.” His voice was gentle and warm as if he were speaking from the heart. You look up at him, and the entire atmosphere changes in a matter of seconds.

“Lysandre?” He has no face, only a blank space where it should be. The rest of him was the same, aside from the clothes, which was much more casual than his usual attire. A white collared shirt and black dress pants. “What’s wrong, Augustine?” Lysandre sounded concerned, confused. The bright, cheerful day was washed into monochrome, and the tree you were sitting under died rapidly in front of your eyes. “No,” Panic consumed you. “Please, leave me alone. Please, leave me alone.” Your voice trembled as you stood up, staring down at the entity in front of you. “Augustine, you need to tell me what’s wro-”

You were heaving when you woke up in a cold sweat. Bulbasaur is still sleeping next to you, and the city’s sounds are unsurprisingly still noticeable. The clock on your nightstand reads six AM. It doesn’t surprise you in the slightest that tonight’s sleep was restless. “Mon Dieu,” your voice is quavering and you want to go back to your slumber, but you can’t run the risk of seeing him again. Not now, at least. You stumble out of bed, mildly disturbing your sleepy Pokemon. When you walk into the living area, you catch a glimpse of your bundle of Pokemon cuddled together in the same chair with the TV still on. You turn the television off, placing a nearby knitted blanket on the pile, and make your make your way into the kitchen. Your stomach is growling, so it’s best to get something to eat while you still have the time. Most of the food in your fridge doesn’t look appetizing at all, except for the eggs. Time to make an omelet. After doing the necessary preparations, you pour the beaten eggs into the pan. Your mind starts to wander.

Dreams are supposed to be nonsense, they’re supposed to mean nothing, but this one felt different. The colors were so bright and while your senses were nonexistent, it felt so real. Why did it lead you into such a false sense of security? Wouldn’t it have been enough to torment you right off the get-go? That would’ve been much better. The dream started off easy, it started off with a real event that took place about two years ago. The two of you weren’t working together as professors anymore, he had gone off to bigger, greater ambitions. However, you stayed in contact, of course you did, he was your friend. Lysandre had reminded you every day ever since the previous week he had brought the idea of picnic up; he really didn’t want you to forget. And thanks to his persistence, you didn’t. The day ended with the two of you walking to your house, you thanked him for his time, and he thanked you for yours. Then that was it.

The smoke detector starts to blare in your apartment, and you come back to the waking world to see your omelet has begun to burn. You panic, taking the pan off the stove and open up the balcony doors to let the smoke out. Thank god it wasn’t on fire. You turn off the detector and stare down at your miserable attempt at a quality breakfast. All that annoying preparation for nothing. Your suitcase resting on the table catches your eye, and you stare down at the granola bars next to it. When you open up the wrapper, you bite into it. It’s nutty and it crumbles in your mouth. You really need to talk to Diantha. 


	4. A Day With Your Sister

It’s pouring as you walk to your sister’s house in Lumiose. The brick roads are practically shining along with the ever so biggering puddles. Even in the early morning, the city’s bustling and it’s almost second nature to you to not bump into those around you. You make your way down Autumnal Avenue, a much quieter street than North Boulevard. People are still here no doubt, but the popular Cafe Pokemon-Amie is closed until ten AM, thus less of a crowd. You look down at Bulbasaur, who’s comfortably walking beside you under your purple umbrella. “We should go there sometime, would you like that?” He contently chirps back at your suggestion, prompting a chuckle from you. “Alright, then. It’s a date.” 

As you turn onto Magenta Plaza, you spot a red sign hanging off of a metal rod connected to the building. One of the windows is broken and the walls are already graffitied, the police tape around it had already been trampled. You walk closer to it, you’ve been here many times, especially on those lonely nights where you wanted nothing but a hot mocha. Lysandre Cafe was known to be open during the most unconventional of hours which made it so special. It was never about any sort of profit, all Lysandre wanted to do was open a peaceful area where he could be himself. The door is still swung open, and from what you can see, the interior has been trashed and the china cabinet is still exposing the passageway into the laboratory. It takes all of your willpower to force yourself to not walk inside. All you want to do is to go inside and reminisce, but you can’t. Not now. It would break you.

You step away from the cafe, trying to navigate out of the plaza as fast as possible. All it did was plague you with bad memories. It almost feels like hours despite only being a matter of minutes before you enter Estival Avenue. You knock on Diantha’s door and wipe your feet off on the doormat. No answer. You ring the doorbell as you watch the rain pour down on Lumiose. “Dear God, Augustine, it’s seven thirty, when did you wake up?” She laughs and crosses her arms, leaning on the doorframe. “Six.” Your voice says it all. Her smile fades away ever so slightly and she stares up at your face. “Are you alright?” Diantha’s voice is slow, but certainly not condescending. “As alright as I can ever be.” Your laugh is hollow. “Can I come inside?” She nods and opens the door wider for you to enter. Bulbasaur stomps inside, tracking water into the house. “Sorry about him. He hates the water.” You rest your umbrella nearby the coat hanger. “Don’t worry about it, it’s always a delight to see sweet little bulbasaur.”

Diantha bends down and gently rubs behind his ear. Bulbasaur almost tackles her, and she yelps in response before giggling. “He’s still so excitable. When is he going to evolve?” She looks up at you as she continuously pets him. “Oh, I don’t want him to evolve. I put an Everstone on him. He’s not a battle Pokemon, just one to just...be with me. He’s kind of an emotional support Pokemon now, I guess.” You respond, awkwardly scratching the back of your neck. “Huh, interesting! I understand that though, he’s just too darn cute.” Diantha stands up. “You can hang out in the living room with Gardevoir. Do you want some tea?” She starts walking toward the kitchen, and she glances over her shoulder at you. “Do you have coffee?” You stroll into the living room and Bulbasaur waddles right behind you. Gardevoir stares at you and you nervously wave. Diantha thinks to herself for a moment. “I’ll check.” She’s gone before you know it. You tap your fingers on the couch, looking around. 

The room is clean, as always. Not surprising at all, Diantha is a very clean woman, even with her busy lifestyle. Bookshelves are neatly well put together, small Pokemon figurines are placed on shelves planted on the walls, and the floor is spotless as always. Small plushies are stacked up onto each other in the corner of the room and there were plenty of trophies and medals on top of almost every other shelf. Her walls were a modest gold color with intricate patterns lining each bottom part of the wall. You turn on the television and it immediately turns onto the news. It talks about the tragedy regarding Team Flare and the reconstruction of Geosenge. People were still finding bodies all over Kalos from the aftermath of Lysandre’s announcement. 

Right when Lysandre detailed his plans of mass destruction that day on the Holo Caster, everything fell apart. There was wailing in the streets and the sheer panic caused most of the deaths that took place about a week or so ago. Suicides, murder, robberies, you name it. It was especially present in Lumiose. You haven’t exactly heard anything about the other regions, but who knows, it could’ve very well happened over there. The tragedy was all the news ever talked about nowadays, no surprise there, lives were lost that day. The body count only ever increased with the contribution of Team Flare’s violence toward the public and the very ray of light that crushed everyone in Flare’s headquarters. This was the biggest calamity that Kalos had ever faced, a gruesome display of depravity to go down in the history books. 

You turn the television off. That’s enough out of that. Your head falls into your hands and you engage in a staring contest with floorboards. You bounce your legs, trying to your hardest to steady your breathing. Due to your naivety, you didn’t do a goddamn thing to prevent any of this. The glasses weren’t rose tinted, they were opaque with red. A fiery, strong red that burned hotter than the sun itself and charred your bloodied hands. Yes, Lysandre may have brought this reckoning by his own accord, but you played a part. You were about to spiral into the darkest pit of despair until you heard the sound of ceramic on wood.

“Are you alright?” Diantha asks before sitting down next to you. Your head rises from your hands and a word doesn’t leave your mouth while you pick up the mug. The coffee is black and bitter with no trace of any sugar or cream. Usually, the harsh taste makes you sick. But today, it’s all you could have ever wanted. “I don’t know.” Your voice trembles as you set the cup back down onto the table. Diantha stays silent, crossing one of her legs as she stares in another direction. “How did your trip in Geosenge go?” She almost hesitates while speaking, but she pressed forward. “It was alright.” You sigh. “We discovered more bodies than I’d like to see. The dust should be settling in soon, and I think all we have to do is identify all of the corpses. Then everything should go back to normal.” Your hands shake as you hold the warm mug and take a tip from it. “I’m sorry to hear that.” Her voice is gentle as she gingerly places a hand on your shoulder. “I saw him.” Your eyes are trained onto the wooden floor. “Lysandre?” Diantha asks. “Lysandre.” You repeat. “He looked hideous. It was the most disgusting thing I’ve ever seen. I didn’t even see his face. I...I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to see it.” You gulp down your coffee like it’s nothing. “I’m so sorry, Augustine.” She pulls you into a hug and you wrap your arms around her in return. “I really am. You’re not going to feel like this forever, this wasn’t your fault.” You stare at the ceiling as you desperately try to push down the lump in your throat. “I know.” Except you don’t know. This was your responsibility and you don’t play your part. “Hey, do you wanna watch a movie? You need a break, you deserve it.” She gives you a gentle smile and you nod as you pull away from her. Diantha wraps a blanket around the both of you and pulls you closer to her. She picks up the remote and switches to on demand almost immediately. You lean on her head and feel safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOHOHOLYLY SHIT sorry for the wait!!!! was super busy and all. 60 hits so far thats awesome!! thank you so much omg <3


	5. first love/late spring

Sea salt smells beautiful when you’re in love. The waves crashing on the shore sound akin to cymbals and the sand fill the empty spaces between your toes. “Come on, the day’s not over yet!” You exclaim, pulling him by the hand. “Sycamore, we need to get back to the car. Night’s going to come any second now. Also, it’s freezing.” Lysandre tries to hold back a smile, but it sometimes cracks through his cold exterior. “It’s only sunset! Besides, no one’s here. We have the beach all to ourselves!” You drag him to the shore and let go of his hand to roll up your pant sleeves. “What are you doing?” He asks, amused and crossing his arms. “I’m going in the water! Not all the way, obviously. A dip, I guess.” You slip your flip flops off and step into the ocean. “And what are you doing?” You look at him, placing a hand on your hip. “You’re not going to just stand there with that grimace the entire time, right?” He shrugs, staring at you with delight. “Might as well. You’re not getting me into that water.” 

Challenge accepted. “I’m not? That’s a shame.” You sigh and pretend to act upset as you lean down and splash some of the water at him. “Nice try, Augustine. That’s not going to work on m-” Lysandre stops himself when you cup your hands holding the water and throw it onto him. He shakes his head and chuckles before taking off his coat. He rushes into the water with you, splashing in your direction. The night sky is approaching while you both laugh. “Stop! You’re getting it into my hair!” You shout, not even trying to mask your happiness. “Yeah? You did the same thing to me, I don’t want you to complain!” And after he says that, he directly does the very thing that you “dreaded”.

“You’re awful! Look what you did, now I really am going to have to shower!”

“You dragged me here, professor, this is your fault!”

“I’m never taking you to the beach ever again! Mark my words!”

“Alright, let’s see how long that lasts.”

You and Lysandre race across the bay as if you were kids again. The rising moon is hidden in the sky tonight but you don’t even take notice. You start to walk backwards, facing him as you speak. “Isn’t it beautiful?” Your arms are outstretched as he smiles down at you. “Yes, I think it is.” He replies. “Look at this, it’s just us here, and the sea looks so terrific! I only wish we had the stars to smile down at us though. But I guess you can’t change nature.” Your voice is lighthearted and warm. “We don’t need the stars, Augustine.” He’s now only walking toward you, a gentle smile placed on his face. “This night is already perfect enough.” You chuckle at his words. “Never knew you could be such a romantic. What happened to my coworker who takes a millenia to even crack a smile?” Lysandre rolls his eyes but the rest of his face indicates he doesn’t even mind all that much. “Keep talking like that and I might as well revert back to that.” 

You’re about to chortle until you trip on a bottle behind you, causing you to lose your balance. In midair, you grab Lysandre by his hand to try to keep yourself up, however the sudden movement causes him to fall as well. You let out a yelp as your body hits the wet sand which gets into your hair faster than you can blink. He’s on top of you now, holding himself up by his arms. His eyes are a shining sapphire which almost hypnotizes you. “Are you alright?” Lysandre’s voice has never been more gentle. “I’m....fantastic.” You reply in a daze. “You know, your eyes are pretty. Is that weird to say?” The water’s soaking your shirt and your face now. “Not at all.” He shakes his head. You’re almost in a trance. You just want to lean up a bit, or pull him down by a small margin and kiss him right then and there. But you restrain yourself. You can’t ruin your friendship with him. 

“We should get up.” Your voice trembles ever so slightly and your face feels hot in the night’s cold air. He pauses and nods. “You’re right.” He stands up and helps you to your feet. Small droplets of water splash onto your skin, and you stare up at the sky only to see more of the rain beginning to fall down onto your face. “I guess that’s our cue to leave.” Lysandre picks up his coat and drapes it around your shoulders. You must’ve looked as confused as you were, so he explains, “You’re wet, you’ll catch a cold.”. The two of you traverse to the car parked on the side of the road and get in almost immediately. He turns the heater on, which takes about thirty seconds to kick in. “That was fun! Thank you for indulging in my nonsense once again.” You chuckle, hugging the coat tighter to you. “It’s not nonsense.” He starts the car. “I liked it. I don’t know how you do it, Augustine. How do you manage to make me...everyone, so happy?” He began to pull out from the side and drove. “It’s part of my charm.” You grin. “I just think everyone deserves to be happy at least once per day. And if I can do something to make your life a bit more beautiful, I’ll do it.” Your head is now on his shoulder, and you only feel slightly bad about the wet sand that’s staining his shirt. “You never cease to amaze me, professor.”

Your eyes flutter open and you look around to your disappointment. The television is still turned on and it’s now running reruns of a show that you despise. After carefully removing your head from Diantha’s shoulder, you get up and put Bulbasaur back into his Pokeball. If you can recall correctly, you crashed at around twelve PM. The clock now reads eight PM. Good luck getting sleep tonight. You make your way into the kitchen and fish your bag on the counter for anything to make up for her troubles. A chocolate bar and a couple other sweets should do it. You place them in front of a note that you sloppily scrawled;

_ Diantha! Thank you for taking care of me tonight. I really appreciate it. Sorry for the trouble. _

_ -A _

And with that, you gather the rest of your belongings and leave the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its 3:58 am by the time i publish this the god damn things i do for these men


End file.
